When someone was not found right away
Unattended death cleanup
Finding out that someone died alone is hard enough. The room they were in needs more than ordinary cleaning, and it is work for an independent company with the right equipment.
Picked up day and night, seven days a week
The medical examiner comes first
A death with no doctor present is one the medical examiner looks into in Florida (s. 406.11). In St. Lucie and Martin counties that is the District 19 office in Fort Pierce. An investigator decides whether the case is theirs and, if so, comes to the home (District 19).
The person is taken to the office, and the examination there typically takes 24 to 48 hours. After that, the funeral home the family chooses collects them. Choosing a funeral home early helps.
Once the investigator and police have left and the home is released, you can arrange the cleanup.
Why it needs more than cleaning
As days pass, fluids move into the bed or chair, then the floor beneath it. Florida heat and closed windows make the odor stronger and push it into fabrics, drywall and the air handler.
A company removes what has absorbed fluids, cleans the surfaces under it, and treats the air and the room so the smell does not come back. Ask whether it checks the air conditioning ducts and filter, and how it confirms the odor is gone before it leaves.
Until then, keep the door shut. Do not run fans or spray air freshener; they spread the odor rather than remove it.
If you live far away
Many families sort this out from another state. A cleanup company can usually work with a neighbor, property manager or relative who has a key, and send photos when the work is done. Ask about this when you call, and ask who will lock up.
Read next
- After a death at homePolice, the District 19 medical examiner and what happens in what order.
- For landlords and managersA death or a biohazard in a rental unit in Florida.
- Who pays for the cleanupThe state crime victim program, insurance basics, landlords and estates.
- TraditionPart of Port St. Lucie, west of I-95. Police and victim help, and floors that hide fluids.
Ready when you are
Call when the police and the medical examiner have finished and you are ready to talk about the cleanup. A company will ask what happened and where, then explain what it would do.
Talk to a cleanup company
An independent company that works in the Port St. Lucie area. You decide whether to hire it.
Call (772) 918-9847Picked up day and night, seven days a week
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